Euro 2012 travel guide: Gdansk

With Euro 2012 kicking off in Poland a week today, here is our guide to Gdansk and neighbouring Sopot – the country's summer party capital – compiled by east Europe travel guide specialist
inyourpocket.com

Where to stay

The first thing to remember when you start typing into a search engine, is that you should not only search for "Gdansk" hotels. The city is just one member of a tri-city conurbation (known locally as Trojmiasto) which takes in Sopot and then Gdynia to the north along the coast. With the stadium towards the border with Sopot it can be just as quick to get to the ground from there, and this is where repeat visitors often head. Sopot is Poland's summer capital, with long sandy beaches and the tri-city's best nightlife. With that in mind you might want to consider a couple of well-run and good value hotels in Sopot – Villa Sedan (€55-100) and Villa Aqua (€50-80) which are run by the same team. If you want to live the high life, try and rent one of the few rooms Uefa haven't bagged in the historic Sofitel Grand Sopot (€130-250), with its private beach. At the other end of the price scale, though not lacking in charm or quality is the Siesta Hostel which comes with a wonderful shady garden. If you're on a budget the family-run Amber hotel is a short distance outside the centre and if they can't accommodate you the owner knows the numbers of every one of the surrounding pensions. By the way, don't bother looking for rooms in the classy Dwor Oliwski (€70-150). The German national side bagged that for the duration of the entire tournament some time ago.

Where to eat

Bar Przystan PR

You're by the sea, so fish is the order of the day. Tawerna, Gdansk old town, is one of the longest established restaurants in town and specialises in seafood. For fish in a more relaxed and cheaper setting (think shorts, T-shirts and inflatable dolphins) try the legend that is Bar Przystan, a 10-minute walk south of Sopot town centre along the beach. You might have to queue to order, and the food might not be as great as it once was, but there is a reason this place is packed to the rafters year-round.

For more of a traditional Polish slant try the excellent Brovarnia across the bridge from Gdansk old town where you'll find excellent Polish dishes which can be washed down with the in-house brewed beers.

Where to drink

Gdansk has a long brewing history (hardly surprising given its German/Polish heritage) but local breweries were closed during the rationalisation that followed the international brewers' entry into the Polish market. It is therefore great to see independent breweries making a comeback with bars opening around town specifically designed to bring their beers to an ever-growing local audience. The brewery to look out for is Amber, who produce a fantastic range of unpasteurised beers including Zywe (note: not the ubiquitous, mass-produced Zywiec), Kozlak and Zlote Lwy. Find them in a couple of bars popular with the locals – Flisak 76 and Red Light Pub – one block away from the main square.

Beer aficionados will also want to visit Degustatornia Dom Piwa (with premises in Gdansk and Gdynia) which has possibly the largest selection of beer in Poland. Finally you ought to try the local firewater – Goldwasser (literally "gold water" in German). A mix of over 20 herbs and roots including juniper, cinnamon and thyme this ancient drink became famous thanks to the 23 carat gold leaves sprinkled in it. Find the original German recipe at Pod Lososiem (the building where Goldwasser used to be distilled) or in the Goldwasser restaurant on the quayside.

The Gdansk Fan Zone

Originally pencilled in for the main square (Dlugi Targ) the Fan Zone was moved to a field just outside of the old town in anticipation of double the expected 15,000 fans wanting to use it (the city is expecting lots of Swedes and Germans coming to sample the atmosphere). Close to the railway station, which has a new connection to the stadium, this will be as good a spot as any for ticketless fans to watch the match on the huge screens, with live music (including a performance from Noel Gallagher).

What to do and see

Gdansk can lay claim to being the site where two of the 20th century's most important historical events began. The second world war started with shots fired by the Nazis at the Polish detachment situated on the Westerplatte peninsula. Regular boat trips take you from the Gdansk quayside out to the huge socialist monument, bombed out remains of barracks and a small museum.

Monument to the shipyard workers. Photograph: David Crossland/Alamy

As you head along the Motlawa river towards the sea, you'll pass through the shipyards which were the scene of the second of these history-changing events – the birth of Solidarity (Solidarnosc). To get a better perspective head to the gates of the former Lenin Shipyard at Solidarity Square where in August 1980 Lech Walesa famously led his shipyard colleagues in the first peaceful victory by the people of the Soviet bloc over their communist rulers. Close by you'll find the excellent Roads to Freedom exhibition which details not just this victory but also the birth of a movement that would eventually force the first cracks in a system that would come crashing down less than 10 years later.

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